Laszlo Tabori is known throughout the world. Among his many accomplishments are such notable feats as an Olympian in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games in the 1500 meter and 5000 meter races. He was the third man in history to break the sub-four minute mile barrier, setting a new European Record with a time of 3:59. The same year (1955) Laszlo held the 1500 meter World Record with a time of 3:40.8. Laszlo was also a member of the World Record breaking team in the 4x1500 meter relay. There he and his teammates broke the WR 3 times. In addition, in 1960 Laszlo and his teammates again broke the WR as he ran a 3.59.6 mile in the Distance Medley Relay.
In 1979, Runners World magazine bestowed upon Coach Tabori the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Award for Coach of the Year. Most recently Laszlo was inducted into the Hungarian Hall of Fame in Budapest, Hungary for his great accomplishments as a World Class athlete and Olympian. He is the Coach of the San Fernando Valley Track Club and has been since its beginnings more than 30 years ago.
Laszlo’s coaching methods are well founded. Trained himself by the great middle distance Hungarian Coach, Mihaly Igloi in Hungary and then later in the United States after the 1956 Olympic Games, Tabori is a great believer in the interval method of training. He caries on these methods today whether he is training a World Class Athlete in preparation for the Olympic Trials or a 40+ recreational runner working to finish his first marathon. Of course individual goals, talent, desire, ability, lifestyle, etc. are all taken into account and adjusted to accordingly.
Since the founding of the SFVTC, Coach Tabori has trained runners of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced, young and old. Many of his runners have achieved World Class status as they have held World Records and have won many prestigious races such as the New York and Boston Marathons.
From the San Fernando Valley Track Clubs early beginnings in the early 1970’s, Coach Tabori’s reputation has grown to great notoriety. His Valley College team won three State Championships, held the National Junior record for the 10,000 meter distance medley and the 4x1 mile relay.
In 1978, Tabori won the New York Road Runners’ Club Coach Award for his outstanding contribution to woman’s distance running. Jacqueline Hansen, winner of the Boston and Western Hemisphere Marathons and Miki Gorman, winner of the New York City and Boston Marathons were two of his protegees which achieved National recognition in the 1970’s. Leal-Ann Reinhart became the 1978 National Marathon Champion under Laszlo’s guidance. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s and into the new millennium Laszlo continues to coach aspiring athletes toward reaching their goals.
